Rotary steam engine



Sept. 20, 1927. H. c. JOHNSON ROTARY STEA'M ENGINE Filed Feb. 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORQ 7 Harvey C .JOHNSON A TTORNEYS.

1,642, 9 Sept' 1927' H. c. JOHNSON 9 6 ROTARY STEAM ENGINE Filed Feb.25, 925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HENRY CJoH/vso/v ATTORNEYS.

' employing an expansible fluid and particu a valve mechanism which Patented Sept. 20, 1927.

. HENRY CHARLES JOHNSON, OF COLTON, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

Application filediFeb ruary 25, 1925. Serial No. 11,603.

' 'My invention relates to rotary engines larly; although not necessarily, to engine propelled by steam.

It is a purposeof my invention to provide a rotary engine having the following advantages: an engine which permits of its direct connection to a driven shaft to the elimination of connecting rods and a crank shaft; an engine which employs steam expansively and to-a maximum point of efficiency to obtain maximum power; an engine'extremely simple and light in construction and having a minimum number of working parts to reduce friction and simplify lubrication; an engine having a valve'mechanism by which the quantity of expansible fluid supplied can be increased to facilitate starting of the motor or to secure proper operation thereof under heavy loads; and permits of the reversingof the engine. I will describe only one form of rotary enginefembodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

F igure 1 is a View showing in vertical section one form of rotary engine embodying my inyention. f i

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentaryhorizontal sectional view of the valve mechanism shown in Figure2 but taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.. I. I

Figure t is a view showing the engine in side elevation with one section, of the stator casing removed.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the piston of the rotor. Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 5. V

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the views;

Referring specifically to the drawings; my invention in its present embodiment comprises a stator which as shown in Figure2 is lnade'up of two sections and 16 secured together by means of bolts 17 and having their confronting sides formed with annular groove-s to providea chamber 18 in which the expansible fluid supplied to the engine is adapted to, expand. The stator sections are also formed with openings that cooperate to provide a chamber 19 in which is also provided on its periphery with an annular positioning flange 21 that to rotate in a circular opening 22 provided between the stator sections and to thus serve to maintain the rotor in proper-position within the. stator at'all times. The rotor R is provided with a piston designated generally is adapted at P and formed on and extending radially from the flange 21.

In the present instance the, piston P is of substantially rectangular form to correspond to the cross-sectional contour of the chamber 18 so as to have a sliding fit therein and against which the expansible fluid is adapted to act for rotating the rotor R. By virtue of the rectangular contour of the chamber l8, it will be manifest that the crosssectional area of such chamber can be increased without increasing the diameter thereof. herefore it will be seen that by increasing in transverse dimensions the other parts of the engine, the horsepower de veloped by the engine can be increased accordingly.

As illustrated to advantage in Figures 5v and 6; the pistonP is provided with a sealing abutment 23 movable'in a pocket 24 of the piston and normally urged inwardly by means of springs 25 so that its outer-end is flush with the outer end of the piston. The inner end of the abutment is formed with an extension 26 adapted to be engaged by a plunger 27 movable in a pocket 28 of the piston and normally urged to a medial position within the pocket by means of springs 29 held'within the pocket by' screw plugs 30. These plugs 30 are formed with ports 31 through which the eXpansible fluid employed is admitted to the pocket to act on the plunger for moving the latter in one direction or the other depending upon which Ill tit)

fluid tight joint between the outer end of the piston and the contacting wall oi? the stator chamber 18. In the medial position oi the plunger 27, the extension it; is disposed within a recess 32 of the plunger so that the springs :29 can expand to re tract the abutment :l'or the purpose which will be described hereinafter.

By reference to Figures l. and --l:. it will be seen that the stator sections 1.5 and to are constructed to provide a. chamber 33 in which a valve body Ell rotates, the valve body being fixed to a shaft 35 journalcd in the stator and provided with a gear 36 which constantly meshes with a similar gear 31' fixed to a shatt 38. The shaft 38 constitutes an extension Oil the rotor l t whereby it will be seen that upon rotation of the rotor at (xi -responding movement will be iinparted to the valve Ell. As shown in Figure l, the valve S-l is positioned to extend into the chamber 18, but to allow the passing oi the piston P during: rotation at the rotor ll. the valve is formed with an arcuate recess F139. ,.-\s shown in Figures 2 and the valve is provided with a main inlet port ill. the inlet end of which disposed axially ot' the valve body so as to have communication at all times with a fluid supply pipe ll. while the outlet end oil the port positioned to rep-is ter with a stator inlet port at each revolution oi the valve body. This port it) is designed for the purpose of supplying steam or other expansible lluid to the chamber In in such manner as to act. upon one side oi" the piston P for rotating the rotor R in one direction, and under normal ctmditions the steam supplied by this port is sutlicient to operate the rotor. lllowever. under abnormal conditions such as when an extremely heavy load is imposed upon the engine so that the steam supplied by the port ll-U is insuliioient to start and maintain the rotor in. )eration, additional steam can be supplied by a subsidiary port 48 (Figure 3). This port has an inlet end which is at all times in communication with an annular passage elatformed in one face of the valve body ill and to which steam is supplied from a pipe The outlet end of the port 43 is also adapted to register with the stator inlet port once during each revolution of the alve body, but bv reference to Figure l it will be seen that the ports and. iii are arranged so that port eltl registers with the port .1-.2 subsequent to the port it). In this manner two separate charges of steam or other cxpansible fluid are supplied to the chamber 18 to act upon the piston P in re tating' the rotor R in one direction.

To rotate the rotor R in the opposite direction, a main port 4:6 is formed in the valve bod 34 with its inlet end conurumi eating; with an annular passage ell formed in one face of the valve body and to which steam is supplied from a pipe 48. The out let end of the port elti is disposed at the opposite face of the valve body for registration with a. stator inlet port 49 and once during each revolution of the valve body. For su iplying additional steam to the chaml)(l' 18 when the engine is operating under abnormal conditions. a subsidiary port 50 is l'ormed in the valve body with its inlet end in communication with an annular passage it formed in the valve body and to which st am is supplied from a pipe 552. This port is also adapted to register with the stator inlet port l9 and successively with respect to the port it) so as to supply further steam in a manner to provide additioi'ial power for rotating: the rotor R in the opposite direction.

Its clearly shown in Figure "2, the several steam supply pipes are provided with valves 53 so that the passage of steam to the several ports can be controlled at will and to etlect rotation of the rotor R in either direction. Conm'iunicatingr with the pipes all and 48 are branch pipes and respectively. which are designed to supply steam to chambers 56 and 57. respectively, for actuating plunger valves and 59, respectively, against the QXlDllllSlYG action of springs 60 and (ii for closing exhaust ports (52 and 63. The plunger valves 56 and 57 are normally urged to open position by the springs (it) and (51. whereby the ports 02 and (53 are placed in communication with exhaust passagn s (54; and termed in the stator section l6 and comrnu nicating with the common outlet (36.

in the operation ot the inventioiu the rotor It can be rotated continuously in one direction by opening the valve 55: for the pipe ell. whereby steam from the portal) is admitted to the chamber 18 through the stator port 42 to act expansively on the pis ton P and thus rotate the rotor R. With rotation of the rotor, the valve body 34: is rotated in the opposite direction as indi- -ated by the arrow in Figure 1 thus causing the port ill to intermittently register with the port &2 and to thereby supply charges (it steam successively to the chamber 18, as will be understood. \Vith the opening of the valve 53 for the pipe 41 steam is also supplied to the chamber 57 through the pipe whereby the 'ilunger valve 59 is moved to closed position thus preventing exhaust of steam through the port 63 and thus seal ing the passage 65. It is to be understood that the plunger valve 58 remains open so that steam from the chamber 18 can or:- l'iaust.

Should it be desired to increase the supply of steam to the chamber 18 for the purpose previously described, the valve 53 for the pipe 45 is opened thus admitting steam to the port 43 for subsequent delivery to the chamber 18 to further act on the piston P.

1 ill) that port 31 exposed to the 'sion 26 and thus urge the When rotating the rotor R in the opposite direction, the valve'53 for-the pipe 48 is opened to admit steam to the port 46. From the port 46 steam is admitted to the chamber 18 through the stator inlet port 49 and in such manner astoact expansively upon the opposite side of the piston P. i As the valve for'the pipe 48 is opened, steam is supplied to the chamber 56 through the pipe 54 so as to move the plunger valve 58' toclosed position and thus prevent the exhaust of steam through the port 64. To increase the supply of steam to the chamber 18, the valve 53 is opened to admit steam to the port 50, the

-' steam being subsequently supplied to the jacent wall of the chamber 18. By virtue of the two ports 31, the steam in the chamber 33 is free to actupon the plunger 27 to move the latter in one drection or the other depending upon which direction the rotor R is being rotated so as to maintain the sealing abutment in sealing engagement with the wall of the chamber 18 at all times whereby the complete expansive force ofthe steam can be utilized.

Although I have herein shown and olescribed only one form of rotary engineembodying my invention, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention;

l. A rotary engine comprising a stator, a rotor in the stator to provide a chamber between the two, a piston on the rotor adapted to move in said chamber, a rotating valve having two sets of ports therein, one for delivering an expansible fluid to one side of the piston; and the other for delivering an eXpansible fluid to the other side of the piston,.and means for supplying an expansible" vfluid to one set of ports or the other, the

ports of each set operating to supply separate charges of the expansible fluid to the same side of the piston and successively for the purpose described.

2. A rotary engine comprising a stator, a rotor in the stator arranged to provide a chamber between the rotor and stator, a piston on the rotor adapted to movein said chamber, therein adapted to admit separate charges of an expansible fluid to act on one side of the piston and successively for the purpose described.

'3. In a rotary engine, a stator, a rotor, a

rotary valve, ports in the valve and stator, and means for supplying steam to certain of, the ports, said ports being arranged to admit separate charges of steam to-the rotor to act successively thereon and to rotate the rotor in either direction.

HENRY CHARLES JOHNSON.

and-a valve having a pair of ports 

